Old Market - Omaha, NE Area Guide

Old Market’s distinguished brick buildings were built to sell wholesale groceries and retail products to the surrounding city. Originally warehouses, offices and a steam bakery from the 1880s to 1920s, the historic neighborhood underwent more than one face lift before transforming into the well-preserved area it is today.

Follow this history in the Durham Museum’s permanent exhibits. An ongoing calendar of new exhibits and the old-fashioned soda fountain inside give you reason to return again and again.

The Old Market art scene visually explodes around you with alley murals, sculptures and buskers. Local galleries Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts and the Artists Cooperative Gallery showcase student, local and national artists. Attend one of the Bemis Center's art presentations or purchase affordable art from the Cooperative.

In June, wander along Farnam Avenue for the Omaha Summer Arts Festival. This free event brings together national artists, music performers and the Omaha community.

While Old Market's drinking and dining options reflect the diversity of its many ethnic populations, the majority of restaurants and bars retain a proud American style with Midwest dishes, regional beers and local hospitality.

Wilson & Washburn also prides itself on its drinks menu, with 24 beers on tap. Folks liken the environment to a sepia photo: old, dim and insinuating. Try the poutine croquettes as an appetizer, followed by the beet burger or macaroni and cheese.

The trendy Vietnamese joint Saigon Surface serves a modern fusion of pho dishes. Though more expensive than some of the city's other Southeast Asian spots, nowhere else can you sample oxtail pho. Each table holds an iPod for entertainment in between courses.

Popular bars include the local craft brewing company installed in a converted firehouse, Upstream Brewing Company. Head to Boiler Room for wine or The Berry & Rye for cocktails. House of Loom has dancing on the weekends and karaoke on Tuesdays. Stop by Harney Street Tavern for live music.

Trying to find a parking space in the Old Market is a challenging, so unless you have time to walk a few blocks, public transportation is a time-saving alternative to navigating the neighborhood.

The Omaha Metro bus system canvases the area, with three routes running east/west along 10th and 13th Streets and one route running up Farnam/Harney Streets. These all stop at the Downtown Transit Center, where passengers can switch buses for connections to nearly every other route in the city.

From Old Market, simply step outside and you’ll find yourself within downtown Omaha. To escape the city for a weekend, pull onto Highway 4/Interstate 480 and enter rural Iowa ten minutes later.

To avoid the aforementioned hassle downtown, call one of Omaha’s taxi cabs or check in with Lyft, a local ride-sharing service. The service’s convenient app allows you to locate potential drivers around the city from your phone, and the app payment method removes the end-of-ride transaction with cash or card.

Amtrak’s passenger trains also pass through Old Market; from the station on 9th Street, travelers can ride in vintage style to destinations like Chicago or California.

As the neighborhood’s constant activity keeps pedestrians on the streets at all hours, both walkers and cyclists should feel safe here. The BikeOmaha Network organizes citywide routes and lanes, three of which begin in Old Market and carry wheels into east and south Omaha.

Old Market borders two of downtown’s biggest parks on its eastern side: the Gene Leahy Mall and the Heartland of America Park. Both big green spaces invite visitors and residents to rest over a coffee, take in the scenery and relax under a cloudless Nebraska sky.

Bright statues, giant stepping stones and slides give the Gene Leahy Mall a youthful atmosphere.

At the Heartland of America Park, stretches of walking paths and grass encircle a man-made lagoon. Take a boat ride around the water, or feed the clustering ducks and geese. These 31 acres were originally scouted by early explorers Lewis and Clark; now, they attract foot traffic from the nearby ConAgra Foods headquarters.

While dogs are welcome in the city’s parks, they’re not allowed off-leash in unmarked areas. Cyclists enjoy following the streets from Heartland Park east to the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge, where they can pedal over the Missouri River and into Iowa.

The cost of living in Old Market is 7 percent less than the average cost of living in Omaha. With rental rates also lower than rates elsewhere in the city, you can expect to pay approximately $1,139 for a one-bedroom apartment each month.

Purchase gas in the neighborhood, and you’ll pay right around the national average price. Ride the bus instead, and pay $1.25 for a one-way ticket. Meanwhile, a pint of beer at the local pub costs $3 to $6.

You won't find many chain stores in Old Market, where cute boutiques and locally operated specialty stores flaunt their wares from every sidewalk. Urban Abbey lures in customers with the smell of coffee. Half nonprofit cafe, half bookshop, a portion of the shop's proceeds is used for charitable projects around the neighborhood. Literary merchandise includes used books and cheap editor's copies. At City Limits, peruse the quirky coffee table books, greeting cards and journals. This is the type of store most customers have difficulty leaving empty-handed. One of Old Market's more unique venues is Hollywood Candy, a sweets and antiques store with a movie theater inside. The sugared treats cost more than their supermarket versions, but you can choose from floor-to-ceiling rows of unusual candies. Try your hand at one of the vintage gaming machines before you go. Grocery options are slightly more limited in Old Market, with bigger chain outlets in outlying neighborhoods. Cubby's convenience store on 13th Street covers the basics, with baked goods and fresh lunch combinations, beverages and packaged goods. Higher prices make up for the smaller space and lack of franchising. Locals especially appreciate Cubby's beer selection. The local Omaha Farmers Market runs from spring through autumn, with vendors selling fresh produce, homemade condiments, craft products and hot foods.